Le baiser inoubliable de Ghost Lips

Chapitre 3

"By myself," the child said confidently.

Old Fu was taken aback. Could such an exquisite red string have been made by a child? He expressed his doubt.

"How old are you?" Old Fu asked, his eyes still fixed on the red rope and the dangling spoon.

"It's the eleventh!" the child said with a high-pitched laugh, revealing two deep dimples the size of a thumb.

"Why did you come to see me?" Old Fu was genuinely puzzled; he didn't recognize the child in front of him.

The child smiled adorably. He pulled out a food box from behind his back and said, "I've come to bring you food." The food box was a very special rectangular shape, not very big and divided into two layers. It was painted red and had a landscape painting on it that I couldn't identify. The workmanship wasn't exquisite, but it was still quite unique.

Bringing him food? Old Fu was taken aback. He had no relation to this child, yet the child had come to see him. He didn't know the child, but the child had thought of bringing him food. Old Fu was suddenly moved, after all, the child was the first person to come and see him.

"Why are you bringing me food?" Old Fu asked in a low voice.

"This food isn't fit for human consumption, so I came to bring you some," the child said, looking at the old man with innocent eyes.

The child was right; the food in the cell was indeed inedible. Old Fu couldn't help but turn back to look at the dirty bowl on the ground. The skinny little mouse was still pacing around it, even though the food inside had been eaten last night, the mouse still seemed unwilling to leave. Old Fu sighed and reached out to open the food box.

The child quickly moved the food box back a bit, placing it just out of Old Fu's reach even with his arm outstretched. Old Fu was taken aback; he didn't understand the child's action.

"Your mother must have taught you when you were little not to take other people's things without permission, right?" the child said earnestly, a smile always on his innocent face.

"Mother," Old Fu thought to himself, he had no idea what his mother looked like. He had no mother; he was an orphan.

“If you don’t say anything, that means you agree with me. Alright then.” The child threw down the straw in his hand, crossed his arms, and said seriously, “If you agree to take me as your apprentice, I will give you all the food in this food box.”

So it turned out he wanted to become his apprentice. Kids are kids, Lao Fu found it amusing. He was an adult, how could he do something for a box of rice? He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The child didn't speak, his eyes fixed on Old Fu, waiting for his reply.

Old Fu was still laughing. He laughed at the child's innocence, his cuteness, and his naivety. In short, he had found something interesting to do.

The child suddenly burst out laughing. He plopped down on the ground, placed the food box between his legs, and slowly opened the lid of the food box in a very elegant manner.

Old Fu stopped laughing, and his face instantly darkened.

"Can you consider taking me as your apprentice now?" the child asked, while enjoying a mung bean cake he had taken from the food box.

Old Fu was silent for a moment, then finally spoke, "Alright, I agree to take you as my apprentice."

The child wiped his mouth, which was covered in crumbs, and said happily, "I knew you would agree." His face once again showed that innocent and cute smile, but Old Fu didn't think the child was cute at all.

"Since you've agreed, then put your handprint on it." The child took out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to Old Fu. On it was simply written a line of crooked words: Old Fu is willing to take Erduo as his apprentice.

So this child's name is Ears, what a strange name. But he's a cunning little fellow, Old Fu thought to himself. He dipped his left hand in the red oil and pressed it hard on the paper.

The child excitedly and carefully stuffed the food box into the iron pillar and handed it to Old Fu. He stood up, dusted off the dirt on his clothes, and said, "Great, Master, please enjoy this meal. I'm leaving now."

Master, Old Fu could only smile bitterly. He never imagined that one day he would be tricked by a child.

The child picked up the straw from the ground, waved it, and skipped away.

"What do you do!" Old Fu suddenly realized that he had forgotten to ask the child's identity.

The child's voice had slowly faded into the distance at the end of the cell, but Old Fu could still clearly hear what he said.

"I am a beggar."

The Tailor (Nine): "Stealing in the Dead of Night"

"Isn't this... not a good idea?" Fu Zhuo finally couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"I knew you were a coward, you don't even have the guts!" Chu Mengjun muttered under her breath, while stomping hard on Fu Zhuo's foot, making Fu Zhuo almost cry out in pain.

As the person making the joke gradually walked away, Chu Mengjun quickly approached Fu Zhuo and whispered, "Quickly move the ladder over here."

Fu Zhuo hesitated before moving the ladder to the spot Chu Mengjun pointed to; the ladder was just the right height to reach the courtyard wall. Chu Mengjun smiled excitedly, but Fu Zhuo looked reluctant. After all, this was his father's shop, and sneaking in to steal things in the middle of the night was really not a good idea.

"Look at you!" Chu Mengjun scolded.

“The government has already sealed off this shop. If we go in like this and the government finds out, it will be troublesome. Besides, you know what kind of business my father is in. Even if he has money, it’s still…” Fu Zhuo really didn’t like using the money of the dead.

"Hmph! Your father is a famous tailor in the capital. Don't let his usual stinginess fool you, he must have a lot of money hidden in his hands. If we don't go and get it now, are we going to wait until the government confiscates it all? Hmph, what a spineless bastard!" Chu Mengjun looked at Fu Zhuo with a cold face. She still didn't understand why she had married him.

Fu Zhuo remained silent. He always listened to his wife, and if he was unwilling, he would only think about it in his heart.

The ladder wasn't long, but it felt incredibly long to climb. His heart pounded the entire time, and he found this feeling of being a thief to be utterly unpleasant. Chu Mengjun, on the other hand, remained excited and showed no signs of nervousness. Even Fuzhuo couldn't help but laugh at his own cowardice.

The courtyard was unusually quiet; only the faint sound of his own footsteps could be heard. Fu Zhuo couldn't help but move closer to Chu Mengjun, feeling the presence of a living person, which made him feel a little better.

"Go check the room where you sleep in the inner courtyard, I'll go to that wooden house," Chu Mengjun ordered, as she had always been very curious about that wooden house.

"Huh?" Fu Zhuo groaned, not wanting to be alone in a dark room.

"Go on, you!" Chu Mengjun finally couldn't help but push Fuzhuo forcefully towards the inner courtyard. Fuzhuo was caught off guard and fell to the ground. Chu Mengjun glared at him, ignored him, and turned to walk towards the wooden house. Fuzhuo rubbed his sore leg and limped towards the inner courtyard.

Fu Zhuo was truly surprised by the simplicity of the sleeping quarters. He had hardly ever been inside this room, and even when he had, he had little recollection of it. Now, seeing it, it truly seemed rather shabby. There was a table and chairs, and a kang (a heated brick bed), though it looked rather worn. There were also several old chests, presumably for storing clothes, along with some broken teacups, scraps of cloth, and other such items. Fu Zhuo placed the newly lit candle on the table and casually rummaged around. Even he, his son, had no idea where his father would hide the silver. Sigh, Fu Zhuo could only lament. He plopped down on the kang, crossed his legs, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes to rest. He was too lazy to search.

A gust of cold wind blew past, and Fu Zhuo quickly opened his eyes. He seemed to have sensed someone approaching him. He looked around, but there was no one there, nothing at all. Fu Zhuo felt strange. He had indeed felt someone approaching, and he thought it was Chu Mengjun, but... another gust of cold wind blew past, and Fu Zhuo felt a chill on his neck. He reached up and touched it, and a cold sensation rose from his heart. Could it be a ghost? Fu Zhuo subconsciously leaned closer to the inside of the room.

In the corner, Fu Zhuo didn't know why he was looking at the corner, but he always felt that the cold aura was coming from there. He unconsciously moved his body and got off the kang.

The corner was so dark that he couldn't see anything. Fu Zhu hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up his courage and reached out to touch it.

It was an account book. Fu Zhuo hadn't expected to actually find something, but the account book was black with the word "account book" written in white on it, and nothing else particularly special. Perhaps it was his father's business record book that he'd accidentally dropped here, Fu Zhuo thought to himself. He initially intended to flip through it, but thinking about the business this shop did, he hesitated. He decided to show it to Chu Mengjun instead; she was always a remarkably bold woman.

As Fuzhuo prepared to push open the wooden cabin door, he felt a chill run down his spine. He touched the back of his neck and glanced behind him. No one was there, nothing at all. Perhaps it was the darkness, or perhaps he was just feeling a little nervous, Fuzhuo thought, and then pushed open the door.

Chu Mengjun was bent over, rummaging through the contents of the basket. The bed, usually used for storing the dead, was now piled high with fabric, thread, and other such items. Fu Zhuo couldn't help but shake his head.

"Have you found anything?" Fu Zhuo asked.

Chu Mengjun jumped up in fright, leaning against the wall and trembling all over. When she saw that it was Fu Zhuo, she immediately regained her composure and said with a stern face, "Finished searching? Did you find anything?"

Fu Zhuo couldn't help but chuckle to himself. So Chu Mengjun could be afraid too. He had thought she was fearless. He cleared his throat and said, "I didn't find anything, just an account book." Fu Zhuo took out the black account book he had just found from his pocket.

"The ledger?" The voice was almost coming from Chu Mengjun's nostrils, sounding very muffled. She snatched the ledger away with disdain, plopped down on the stool next to her, and casually flipped through it by the dim candlelight.

Chu Mengjun's face grew increasingly pale. She could clearly hear herself breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding, and her hands were shaking more and more violently, so much so that she couldn't even hold the account book.

The ledger fell to the ground with a thud. Chu Mengjun didn't even have the courage to stand up. She trembled as she raised her head, which was already somewhat numb, and looked at Fu Zhuo, stammering, "This...this..." She didn't even know what she wanted to say.

A drop of bright red blood, still retaining some warmth, fell silently, disappearing among the pile of rags. The tiny droplet was like the eye of a pin, the crimson spot like a small red mole firmly planted in the center of the throat. Chu Mengjun stared at Fu Zhuo in surprise and said, "What's wrong with you? Why is there a bloodstain on your neck? Why is it still bleeding? Why..." Chu Mengjun finally stopped her incessant chatter. She stared wide-eyed ahead, clearly seeing something appear behind Fu Zhuo.

A tiny sewing needle danced gently in the air thick with the smell of death. A red thread shifted and changed positions with the needle's movements. A well-maintained hand held the needle's fate in its hands.

Chu Mengjun's eyes widened instantly...

10. Xiao Xiang got married.

Someone was getting married, and the welcoming procession caused a stir throughout the capital. The sounds of gongs and drums, filled with joy and excitement, accompanied a grand pink bridal sedan chair that swaggered to the entrance of the Butterfly Fragrance Courtyard.

The sounds of firecrackers and congratulatory shouts filled the entire Butterfly Fragrance Courtyard with a joyous atmosphere. Madam Xu, having specially chosen a bright red robe to complement her yellow, gold-embroidered long gown, wore her face once again heavily made up, as if she were the star of the day. Amidst the commotion, Xiao Xiang was carried out of the Butterfly Fragrance Courtyard by the matchmaker. Her phoenix coronet and wedding gown accentuated her already perfect figure, making her even more beautiful and alluring. The crowd stirred with excitement; everyone wanted to see how the girl from Butterfly Fragrance Courtyard would reform.

The matchmaker stepped over a copper basin burning scraps of paper, while Xu's mother muttered beside her, "When you leave here, you must not look back. Only then can you truly reform and become a virtuous woman."

Xiao Xiang nodded slightly. Today was her special day, and she shouldn't have cried, but she couldn't help but shed tears. The tears weren't large, just enough to fall onto the sedan chair railing. The sedan chair was decorated in a dazzling fiery red, and the curtain was gently pulled open by the wedding party. The matchmaker, with practiced steps, gently placed Xiao Xiang into the sedan chair.

"Xiao Xiang, please be careful." Madam Xu said with some reluctance, and a few tears fell. She reached out and gently wiped them away, then immediately regained her usual smile and continued, "But today you've reformed, and I'm happy for you! Hurry up and get on your way, the groom can't wait." After saying that, Madam Xu lowered the sedan curtain.

The wedding procession weaved through the streets and alleys, with shopkeepers, families, students, workers, men, women, old, and young all following closely behind, witnessing this rare spectacle of liveliness and listening to the deafening sound of gongs and drums. Even the guards at the prison couldn't resist joining in the commotion, their faces beaming with unusual smiles. Just then, a basin of foul-smelling water rained down from above, landing squarely on the group of soldiers. Covered in stench and filth, everyone froze, even the wedding procession halted, and a sudden, eerie silence descended.

"Who the hell did this?!" Finally, a soldier broke the silence and shouted, followed by a series of curses. Everyone looked up.

With a grin on his face, Erduo stood on the second floor of the restaurant and looked down at the soldiers below, saying, "Brothers, I'm sorry. I meant to splash water on the sedan chair, but I missed and splashed it on you all instead. I'm so sorry! This is my foot bath water."

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, and the already lively scene almost spiraled out of control. The soldiers' faces darkened instantly; someone dared to openly provoke them! They rushed towards the second floor of the restaurant.

The wedding procession started beating drums and gongs again, and the four sedan chair bearers, frowning, lifted the sedan chair with all their might and continued along the route they had come from.

Mo Bai, dressed in a clean groom's suit, stood straight in front of the tea stall. Today was his special day, and he was naturally beaming with joy. The simple tea stall was already covered with bright red silk ribbons, but Mo Bai still felt it wasn't festive enough, so he specially filled it with a large pile of wedding candies. However, they weren't for people to eat; they were meant to be scattered on the ground for people to step on. He liked the feeling of stepping on them.

The sedan chair finally came into Mo Bai's sight. He hurriedly straightened his clothes, especially the large, bright red flower on his chest, which looked particularly striking. The sedan chair landed, and Mo Bai used the tea money he had worked so hard to earn to tip the people who were energetically banging drums and gongs while carrying it. Those people were quite tactful; they offered some congratulatory words and immediately disappeared without a trace. Mo Bai cleared his throat and nervously lifted the sedan chair curtain.

Xiao Xiang stepped down from the sedan chair by herself, her red veil swaying gently with her movements. Mo Bai couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness and lowered his head, blushing slightly.

"Am I just going to stand?" Xiao Xiang said softly, her voice beautiful and gentle. Mo Bai felt a little lightheaded. He picked up a sturdy-looking stool and placed it behind Xiao Xiang, then wiped it vigorously with his sleeve, saying, "You... sit down."

Xiao Xiangge laughed out loud. She found Mo Bai to be a very interesting person. She sat down on the stool with light movements, and Mo Bai stood obediently beside her, not daring to make any move.

"Are you really going to let your bride sit here like an idiot?" Old Fu finally couldn't help but climb out of the sedan chair.

Mo Bai glared at him, indicating that he was being nosy. Lao Fu chuckled dryly, but Xiao Xiang was very generous and said, "Since I agreed to marry Mo Bai, I am Mo Bai's woman. I will do whatever he wants."

Mo Bai touched his large, fan-shaped ears and said somewhat embarrassedly, "This is my first time, so I don't know what to do."

Old Fu couldn't hold back any longer; he laughed so hard he bent over. He never expected Mo Bai to be so shy. Mo Bai had no choice but to glare at Old Fu again.

Xiao Xiang reached out and removed her veil herself. Mo Bai was stunned, and so was Lao Fu. Mo Bai was stunned because he had never seen Xiao Xiang before; she was more beautiful than he had imagined. Her clear face and distinct features made her a true beauty. Lao Fu was stunned because the Xiao Xiang before him was completely different from the one he had seen at the Butterfly Fragrance Courtyard. The one before had been heavily made-up and flamboyant, while the one before him was simply dressed in light makeup; the one before had been affected and pretentious, while the one before him was gentle and graceful. One was a seductive woman on earth, the other a fairy from heaven. Lao Fu couldn't help but lament his own blindness.

"Greetings, Master!" Ears had been squatting to the side without anyone noticing.

Old Fu looked at him. He should thank Ear; if it weren't for him, he wouldn't have escaped that inhuman place. He suddenly missed the food box, especially when he saw his leather pouch and the large silver scissors, which seemed even more dear to him. He also remembered that besides his favorite sewing needles, there was a piece of paper in the pouch—a piece of paper with crooked, illegible writing.

On the twelfth day of the fourth month, the bride is welcomed in front of the prison. When she enters the sedan chair, there are pickled vegetables in the meal.

Although it was just a line of tiny, barely audible writing, Lao Fu recognized it as Xu Mama's handwriting. Lao Fu had never imagined that although Xue Qiuqiu was dead, her pickled vegetables had saved him, and now he stood safely before them. As for Zhang Bensan, Lao Fu planned to secretly sew him a garment, as a form of compensation.

"Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun are dead. They were both wearing newly sewn clothes when they died." These were the last words Erduo said to Lao Fu today.

The Tailor (11) - "Go and retrieve that ledger. Why did Xiao Xiang marry Mo Bai?"

How did Erduo get to know Mo Bai and Xu Mama?

Are ears really beggars?

Old Fu had been thinking about these questions since yesterday; he had been pondering them ever since. Now he knew, but not because he had figured them out himself; they had told him.

Xiao Xiang's marriage to Mo Bai was deliberately arranged by Xu's mother to create a lively and chaotic scene. Xiao Xiang also wanted to use this opportunity to get married and leave her life behind. Moreover, Xu's mother gave her a generous dowry.

Erduo didn't recognize Mo Bai, but he knew Xu Mama because he often saw Lao Fu entering and leaving Diexiang Courtyard, and Xu Mama always personally entertained him, so he guessed that their relationship was unusual.

Ears was indeed a beggar, an orphan who had been begging on the streets since he was old enough to understand things.

The plan came from Ear, Mother Xu was found by Ear, the chaotic scene was created by Ear, and the success this time was all because of Ear. Old Fu suddenly felt that Ear was a very scary child. Although he had become Ear's apprentice, Old Fu reminded himself to be careful of Ear.

And so, Xu's mother, Mo Bai, Xiao Xiang, and Erduo arranged this lively and chaotic escape plan. It's just a pity about Zhang Bensan. He was a decent person, and his death was indeed somewhat unjust. But if he hadn't died, Lao Fu would have died.

On the table lay a variety of dishes, all prepared by Xiao Xiang. Old Fu had never imagined that a woman from the mortal world could cook so well, and he began to feel a pang of envy for Mo Bai. A small dish of pickled vegetables sat quietly among the flamboyant delicacies. Old Fu recognized it as Xue Qiuqiu's; it was this dish of pickled vegetables that had saved him. Xue Qiuqiu only poisoned the pickled vegetables she sold to Old Fu, so when he saw the pickled vegetables in the food box, he understood their purpose.

"Eat it, it's not poisonous," Mrs. Xu said half-jokingly.

Old Fu gave a wry smile and remained silent. He picked up his chopsticks, took a pickled cucumber strip, put it in his mouth, and bit it hard a few times. It was a bit old, but still edible. He swallowed it with a stiff bite. Xu's mother let out a silvery laugh. Mo Bai sat next to her, shyly looking at Xiao Xiang. To be precise, his eyes never left Xiao Xiang.

Old Fu's Yin-Yang Tailor Shop was right in front of them, but Old Fu couldn't enter openly. Although the white seal on the door was somewhat damaged, its authority remained. Old Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai had to find a ladder to climb in. Their purpose for this trip was to retrieve the black ledger.

The shop was in a mess; it seemed that after Lao Fu escaped, the government had thoroughly searched the place.